Re: [Harp-L] Learn to play in 2 days???

[fjm <mktspot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'll apologise for the insensitive remarks of some while applauding the 
several people who took the time to actually answer a question.  All the 
fuss about how one group of people who play harmonicas relates to 
another group that also plays harmonicas and where does it lead?  To 
musicians treating other musicians badly.  I don't see any of this 
headed in a particularly constructive direction.

Guessing why or what someone else thinks without directly addressing 
that person seems futile at best.  Ascribing motive to an alleged 
behaviour, while tempting, just adds fuel to the fire.  Perhaps others 
just don't see the irony: a group of diatonic harmonica players 
repeatedly bash newer styles of harmonica while clinging to a style of 
music that hasn't been at all popular for a good 40 years, all the while 
having hurt feelings because another group of harmonica players who 
favour the vaudeville era of music can't relate to them.  I see it as 
cultural rather than racial.

An additional irony for me is the several people who have jumped in to 
comment on SPAH who haven't ever been to an actual event.  An internet 
version of telephone.  That game where one person whispers something in 
the ear of the adjacent person who whispers in the ear of the person 
next to them until the phrase or thought makes a complete circle.  The 
fun being where the last person to have heard the phrase repeats it to 
the originator.  My point being that truth such as it is gets distorted 
by the repeated relaying.  Much of this discussion strikes me as just 
gossip.  Don't get me wrong I'm quite quick to join in on a juicy gossip 
session but is this really the place for it?  Is this the way you'd like 
to communicate with the SPAH membership?  Larry makes several good 
points regarding being open to the established SPAH membership.  Clearly 
if newer harmonica players aren't integrated into the SPAH organisation 
SPAH will die with the current generation but this of course is true of 
all clubs.  fjm